Monthly Archives: September 2018

September 30, 2018

How to Get Referrals from Warm Contacts ⁰

by Wordscapes® • Job Search Tips • Tags: getting referrals from warm contacts

You may find it hard to use networking to find a job if you can’t rely on your warm contacts to give you the information you need. At times, you would have to ask your warm contacts to refer you to at least two people that they know who will be able to give you the information you needed.

However, there are times that your warm contact, particularly those who don’t know you well, may not readily provide you with the information. Some of your warm contacts may feel reluctant about vouching for you to their other contacts.

Because of this, you may find it difficult to use your network. To network and get referrals can be an easy task for you, here are a few tips.

* Nurture your warm contacts.

Before you even need your warm contacts or before you also ask for help, keep in touch with your warm contacts. You may send notes or greetings from time to time, call to “catch up” on them, invite them to lunch, be interested or help in their business or do anything to cultivate your connection with them.

In this way, by the time you need help, they can remember you and can more readily give information about their other contacts that will be able to help you.

* Be polite.

Since you might not have close personal relationships with some of your valuable warm contacts, it is inappropriate to give them a call and ask them for information about your field of interest.

Sometimes, sending a note in advance, or asking to meet them for lunch is a better way to ask for their help.

* Listen to them.

Most of the time, even if your warm contact knows little in the field where you are trying to find a job, they might offer you advice. Be polite and interested in what they are saying. Who knows, the information that they are giving may be valuable to you in the future.

There are times that your warm contacts may be telling you tips on what manner will work best when you talk to the persons that referred you. Your warm contacts may also imply what qualities and qualifications the person is required.

* Ask for at least two referrals.

Before you ask for referrals, make sure that your warm contact had said everything that he or she could say about your field of interest.

Even if they know little about that field, it is impolite if you cut them short while they are speaking to ask if they know somebody who will be able to help you.

Thoughtfully ask them why they couldn’t refer you to at least one of their contacts, They may give you answers that may include comments or suggestions. They may also indicate a lack of confidence in your work strategy. If this is so, you may have to make follow-ups with them to prove that you are indeed credible and match their requirements.

However, there are also times when they can’t refer you to their contacts because they don’t know anybody who might have the information or might be interested in the product.

In this case, ask them to keep their eyes open for opportunities that might interest you. You can also leave with them copies of your resume.

* Ask for only two referrals.

Two referrals are enough from each warm contact so to have another option in case the first one didn’t work out. Asking for more than two references could be impolite as it can take much time from your warm contact. But could also make your warm contact feel that you are relying mostly on them for your job search. So, unless they volunteer the information, don’t ask for more than two referrals.

* Nurture your warm contacts.

When your warm contacts give you referrals, there are times that they also call these people personally to provide more information about you. On the other hand, when you contact your referred people, your referrals may call your warm contacts to verify the information or to ask for more information about you.

Either way, you have to contact your referrals soon enough that these people can still remember their conversation with your warm contact or your warm contact can never forget that you have talked.

At times, after your warm contacts call your referrals, they anticipate your call and even prepare questionnaires and exams for you to take. Do not waste this opportunity by delaying follow-up on references.

Keeping these tips in mind will be able to help you in asking for good referrals from your warm contacts.

September 30, 2018

You Gotta Be Positive! ⁰

by Wordscapes® • Personal Development • Tags: being positive

What is positive affirmation? It is a conscious effort to feed your psyche positive, uplifting, or inspiring messages, which will lead to having a positive, uplifting or inspiring life. Sounds good doesn’t, it? It’s simple to practice, and the benefits are lasting. After all, there are few things stronger or more important than the human psyche.

Your psyche determines how much you enjoy your life, how good you feel, how pleasant you are to other people, your goal-setting abilities, your attitude, and pretty much everything about your temperament, your moods and your behaviour. Your psyche is who you are. And wouldn’t you like that ‘who’ to be a better person?

Here are some great positive affirmations you can use in your everyday life:
I am happy with my life!
I am grateful for my family and friends!
I am grateful to have people who love and care about me!
I accept myself the way I am!
I accept other people the way they are!
No matter what is going on, it’s only temporary!
I can handle anything that life throws at me!
I am always striving to do better!
I will learn from my mistakes!
Life is a gift, and I will enjoy it!

These are just a few examples, but feel free to come up with your own and change them depending on your situation. Start feeling better about yourself, your life and your circumstances today!

September 28, 2018

Finding Job Satisfaction ⁰

by Wordscapes® • Job Search Tips • Tags: finding job satisfaction

How positive do you feel about your job and your work?

Super positive … just great?
So, so … not bad?
Negative… horrible?

It doesn’t take anyone long to react to that question. We know whether or not we are happy with our jobs just because we can’t escape those feelings anytime that we are at work. And if we’re not positively charged up about going to work most days, then we’re not satisfied with our jobs.

You might be tempted to say, “Yes, but it’s so much easier for some people to be confident about their work than it is for others. If only I could look forward to going to one of those dream jobs every day, I wouldn’t have any difficulty with my attitude either.” But is that so? Let’s look at the so-called dream job a little more carefully.

Dream Jobs
Look at people with glamorous jobs– hockey players, dancers, rock stars and models. These people seem to have dream jobs– money, fame, excitement! But look again. Maybe it’s a case of the grass looking greener on the other side of the fence. Most jobs have certain duties that are boring, repetitious or jut plain hard work. Dream jobs may have exhausting travel and work schedules, hours of exercise and practice, and an image to live up to. That can be a drag! People with glamorous jobs got where they are through years of concentrated effort and sacrifice. They’ll stay on top only if they continue to work at it each day in a positive way.

Every job has its ups and downs. Having a fun job doesn’t mean experiencing boredom, anxiety, frustration and disappointment. Most people find some aspect of their employment unpleasant, whether it’s dealing with irate customers or clients, doing mounds of paperwork, cutting through bureaucratic red tape or working in the cold. There will always be days when we feel exasperated because we can’t change a situation or solve a problem.

But some people seem to enjoy their work most of the time. We assume it must be the nature of their work– they must have dream jobs. But … maybe not! The fact is, dream jobs are a myth– they don’t exist. There are no perfect jobs. What looks like an ideal job to one, maybe a dreaded job to another. However, some people will feel as if they have their dream jobs or have had one because they have found quite a good fit between themselves and their jobs and have a positive attitude about their work.

What we expect and what we get from our lives dramatically affects our attitudes. Unmet dreams, needs and values lead to negativeness; needs met can lead to positiveness. No one job will fulfill all of our needs. What our jobs don’t provide, we have to find elsewhere.

Knowing what we can realistically expect from our jobs can help us develop positive attitudes toward our work. It can help us avoid disappointment and disillusionment later on.

September 22, 2018

How To Impress The Hiring Employer After The Interview ⁰

by Wordscapes® • Interview Tips • Tags: impressing the employer after the interview

Are you currently on a search to find a new job? If you are, you may be preparing yourself for upcoming job interviews. Although you should focus a good percentage of your time on mastering the interview at hand, you may also want to examine your actions and what they should be after the meeting has ended.

These preparation tips may include familiarizing yourself with typical interview questions, creating a list of items that you should ask interviewers, as well as choosing a professional outfit for you to wear. As soon as you have each of these preparation steps out of the way, you may want to take the time to focus on after the interview.

After the interview? If you are wondering what you should after a job interview, you are not alone. Unfortunately, this is where many job seekers make mistakes, possibly costly mistakes. Many believe that as soon as they finish up a job interview, the rest is in the hands of the management staff. While this can ring true in many cases, did you know that there are still steps that you can take to improve your chances of getting the job, even after the interview has ended?

One of the many steps that you can take after your job interview has ended is by going out of your way to thank the interviewer. You would find that this person would be your supervisor if you were to get the position. Be sure to thank them for the job interview opportunity. Also, if you had a scheduling conflict or were late for your job interview, be sure to appreciate the interviewer for being patient and accommodating to you, which may improve your chances in more ways than you could have ever imagined, especially if you were late. Be sure to shake hands. Many view this as the “official,” closing of a job interview.

When you leave the interview room, there is a good chance that you would have to walk through the rest of the establishment. Whether you have to walk fifty feet or five hundred feet, there is a good chance that you will come into contact with other individuals, namely other employees. Be sure to acknowledge them with a quick hello as you pass, which is particularly important if a company supervisor is escorting you from the building or at least watching you leave. Acknowledging other coworkers shows that you can go out of your way to get along with them and this is a good sign that you may be a great team player.

Once you return home, you will want to prepare a thank you letter to mail out to the interviewer. Many individuals have pre-made thank you letters. Some will even mail out their thank you notes on their way home from the interview. While it is possible to do so, you may want to add a personal note to your thank you letter which will help prove it wasn’t a necessarily a preplanned gesture. With that in mind, the sooner that you can mail out your thank you note, the better shape you will likely be. You will want to try and have your thank you note to arrive at the recipient before the official job decision.

As outlined above, there are some different ways that you can go about landing your dream job even after the job interview has concluded. What is nice is that these steps are relatively easy to implement. You rarely have to take any particular action. These steps may not always lead to your hiring for the job, but there is no harm in taking a chance.

Monthly Archives: September 2018

How to Get Referrals from Warm Contacts ⁰

You Gotta Be Positive! ⁰

Finding Job Satisfaction ⁰

How To Impress The Hiring Employer After The Interview ⁰

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